Chapter 2: She’s Going to Run Away with Someone?

Li Yiyi had walked a few steps ahead when she realized it was unusually quiet behind her. She turned around and saw that the other three hadn’t followed.

“Big Sister-in-law, do you know how to start a fire? Could you give me a hand? I want to cook, but I’m not very good at starting a fire,” she suddenly said.

The eldest sister-in-law, Jiang Dashao, quickly snapped out of it. “I know how! I’ll help you.” With that, she hurried off to the kitchen.

“The third daughter-in-law… you’re cooking?” Mother Jiang asked in disbelief.

Li Yiyi smiled and answered, “Yes, I’m cooking. The kids are hungry, so I’m making something for them to eat.”

“I know I used to be pretty lazy, but I’ve decided to turn over a new leaf.”

Mother Jiang gave her a deep look, not sure how much of that she believed.

Jiang Dashao really was someone used to housework—within moments, she had the fire going.

Seeing that nothing major was happening at home, the three women—mother-in-law and two daughters-in-law—didn’t plan to stay any longer.

On the way back to the fields, the second sister-in-law glanced at her mother-in-law and eldest sister-in-law, bit her lip, and spoke in a low voice, “Mom, sis, do you think the third sister-in-law is up to something again?”

Then she suddenly slapped her thigh, startling the other two.

“Sorry, sorry. What I mean is—what if she’s just pretending to turn over a new leaf in front of us, and then when we’re not looking, she runs off and leaves the kids and third uncle behind?”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” The eldest sister-in-law shot a glance at their mother-in-law, whose face had gone a bit pale, and immediately warned her chatty sister-in-law.

The second sister-in-law pouted, “I’m not making stuff up. Didn’t a widow in the neighboring village abandon her three kids and run off with someone?”

“Third uncle’s in the army and only comes back once every two or three years. If third sister-in-law really wanted to do something like that, it wouldn’t be that surprising,” she muttered.

At that, Mother Jiang quickened her pace and rushed toward the village committee office.

Although she’d never liked her third daughter-in-law—thought she was lazy and not good enough for her son—now that there were grandchildren in the picture, she didn’t want them to be motherless. And she definitely didn’t want her son ending up as the poor guy whose wife ran off with someone else.

Meanwhile, completely unaware that her in-laws thought she was planning to run away, Li Yiyi lifted the lid of the pot. The smell of ham rice wafted up, making her stomach growl even louder.

Not that it was surprising—the original body’s owner hadn’t eaten properly in two or three days.

She scooped out three big bowls of rice. When she looked up, she saw two pairs of eager, hungry eyes peeking in from the kitchen doorway.

“Go sit out in the yard. Time to eat,” she called out to the siblings.

As soon as the two heard that, they turned and dashed into the yard.

When she came out with two bowls of rice, she saw them sitting upright in the yard, waiting neatly.

“Eat slowly, it’s hot,” she reminded them as she put down the bowls.

Though the two kids were starving, they were well-behaved. Even when Li Yiyi brought out the third bowl, the bowls in front of them hadn’t been touched.

Seeing how sensible they were, Li Yiyi’s heart ached. She gently patted their little heads. “Okay, you can eat now.”

With her permission, the two finally started eating.

Even when the hot rice and ham burned their mouths, they refused to spit it out.

Just as the three of them were halfway through the meal, an uninvited guest suddenly showed up.

The moment the two siblings saw who it was, their smiles disappeared. Scared, they quickly hid their bowls behind them.

The woman who entered—Li Yiyi’s mother—snorted and scolded, “You two little ingrates! Not even a greeting when your grandma shows up? Hiding food too? What, scared I’ll eat your share?”

Li Yiyi frowned at the fierce-faced woman. She quickly remembered who she was. This wasn’t just anyone—it was her original self’s mother. And now, technically, her mother too.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” Seeing how scared the kids were, Li Yiyi pulled them behind her before speaking.

Her mother walked forward, eyeing the bowl of white rice in her hand—topped with bits of red, giving off a delicious meaty aroma. One look and it was obvious it was something good.

Thinking about how they’d run out of food at home recently, and how this daughter—who had married out—was hoarding good stuff for herself, made her angry. She scolded, “You wretched girl! I’m your mother—why can’t I come here? And another thing—if you’ve got good stuff like this, why didn’t you bring it back to your family? Trying to starve your brother and your little brother, is that it?”

But Li Yiyi’s mother had no idea that the daughter standing in front of her wasn’t the same one who used to put up with all her scolding.

“This is my food. If I want to give it away, I will. If I don’t, I won’t. And besides, didn’t you always say a married daughter is like water spilled out of a bowl? If that’s the case, I’m not part of the Li family anymore, right?” Li Yiyi replied coldly, staring at her mother’s greedy face with undisguised irritation.